Page 80 of Gates of Rapture
That was better.Gideon.One foot in front of the other.
Casimir walked beside him.He glanced at him, even though it was difficult.He sent,Can you fold me to the house?
“I’ll try.”Casimir put his hand on Leto’s shoulder.He could feel the attempt to fold him, but Casimir couldn’t do it, either.Sorry, Leto.This is Greaves’s party.
Greaves.That asshole.
But the moment he thought of the Commander, he fell to his knees and a terrible pain sliced through his mind.
Oh, shit.Once more he shifted his focus to thoughts of Gideon.He kept what was left of his mind centered on the Militia Warrior.Gideon was tall.Yes.He was at Warrior of the Blood level now, but he refused to leave the Thunder God Warriors.Jean-Pierre had brought Gideon’s powers online.Yes, his brother warrior, Jean-Pierre, had developed new powers once he completed thebreh-heddenwith Fiona.He could now lift other warriors up to higher levels.Yes, that was what Jean-Pierre could do, and that was what he had done for Gideon.
He just had to keep thinking about Gideon or Jean-Pierre.
His feet were so heavy, but it didn’t matter.He understood that hisbrehwas in trouble, but he wouldn’t think her name.
On and on he pressed, but it was like moving through a nightmare.Finally, he made it to the front walk.At last, he pushed the door open.Two Militia Warriors drew their swords to challenge him, though they immediately backed off when they recognized who he was.
“Forgive us, Warrior Leto.”Each looked him up and down because he was still in his beast-form.
“Gideon,” he whispered.His voice sounded hoarse, and he’d barely been able to get the word out.
They called for Gideon.He came running.He had blond hair, but not so dark as Jean-Pierre’s, nor so light as Luken’s.
“Warrior Leto, what’s wrong?You’re covered in blood.Are you injured?”
He put his hand on Gideon’s shoulder and breathed hard as he said, “Grace.Danger.”
“She’s in the garden.Shit, what the fuck has happened?”
“Go to her.”
Gideon called his men in close, and as one powerful unit they marched into the garden calling Grace’s name.
***
Greaves was sweating and exhausted.The effort to mind-control two such powerful ascenders, in two separate locations, was costing him.But he was close to shutting Grace’s mind down, getting her to agree to go with him, and the longer he worked her mind, the more he could feel her resistance breaking down.
Come with me.Say the word out loud, and I will fold you to my home in Geneva.Say that you agree to come with me.
Her lips moved.Her jaw worked.She lifted her face to him.I want…
The next moment he heard Militia Warriors shouting.They were calling for Grace.He was out of time.Though he had mist around himself and Grace, the garden was small and the most any of the warriors had to do was to just push through.Or fold.
“Over here.”
Greaves heard Casimir directing traffic.Shit.
“Gideon, break through here.”
Grace, say you’ll come with me.
***
Grace was growing weary, fighting against Greaves.She knew if she said yes, it would feel so good.But something deep inside her, perhaps even her soul, refused to give up.If only she could open her eyes.
She felt a strange sliding up and down her arms, and she heard her name called as if from a great distance.
She wouldn’t go with him.“No,” she said, and her voice sounded stronger.“No.I won’t go with you.”
